As a non-UK member of this listserv, I have read and followed with great
interest discussions concerning courier service. As you all strive to
develop an economical, reliable courier service (or, strive to introduce
improvements and expansion plans), we Floridians are empathetic towards you
and your efforts. If I promise to be reasonably brief, please allow me to
share with you our experiences in South Florida and throughout Florida with
courier services.
About 1991, SEFLIN (Southeast Florida Library Information Network)
introduced the SEFLIN Courier Service. This is a homegrown, tailor-made
courier service designed originally for the three counties comprising South
Florida: Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. The primary cities are
Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. Total population is around 4
million, or about 30% of the population of the State of Florida. Our goal
was to guarantee a maximum of 2 business days delivery time between any
points in South Florida. The courier does not operate on Saturday's,
Sunday's, or established holidays. It worked, and continues to work to
this day despite the addition of several more counties and an increased
population served of about another 500,000 to 1 million residents. Why?
The courier service is directly reportable to the SEFLIN organization, not
any one or more individual libraries. Each library provides an annual
monetary contribution based upon several criteria including library type,
population served, and Interlibrary Loan statistics. The Interlibrary Loan
Committee (of which I am a member) is directly responsible for initiating
suggestions and plans for changes, developing annual or semi-annual test
periods, and making overall recommendations and evaluations.
Then in 1997, the Tampa Bay Library Consortium developed a state-wide
courier service. This courier was a direct outgrowth of the state's
Distance Library Learning Initiative program (DLLI). This DLLI Courier
goal was to include all libraries -- public, academic, private, corporate,
government, medical, special, etc. -- in a massive, all-Florida delivery
plan. As with the SEFLIN model, the DLLI Courier strove to provide 2 or 3
business day delivery times -- a commendable goal in a state where the
driving distance from Miami (in the extreme Southeast section) to Pensacola
(in the extreme Western Panhandle area) is about 680 miles, not including
the 155 miles from Key West to Miami. With the SEFLIN Courier, around 2
dozen libraries were involved. With the DLLI Courier, hundreds of
libraries are involved. Planning for delivery routes, pickup/dropoff
schedules and frequencies, drivers, etc., was an undertaking worthy enough
to justify the time and efforts expended. The result? Success, with some
creases to be ironed out to be sure, but it really works. And, like
SEFLIN, the DLLI Courier gleems money from libraries based upon the number
of stops weekly per institution, and a few other criteria.
Both couriers have foregone the use of traditional enveloppes and padded
bags. Both services use mailbags -- similar to postal services. The
SEFLIN bags are an unforgettable neon pink (who could miss them?), whilst
the DLLI bags are an orange color (what other choice could we have made?).
If anyone would like more information, please email me. I think that we
have many stories and experiences to share.
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Douglas F. Hasty, MLS
Interlibrary Loan Librarian / Distance Library Services Coordinator
"The first sacrifice of traveling is personal pride."
-- The Tokkaido Road
MAILING ADDRESS: CONTACT:
Green Library, ILL Office AT-273 Telephone: (305) 348-2459
Florida International University Fax: (305) 348-6055
Tamiami Trail Email: [log in to unmask]
Miami, FL 33199 USA
WEB CONTACT & PAGE INFORMATION:
Homepage & Resume: http://www.fiu.edu/~hastyd
ILL for FIU Patrons: http://www.fiu.edu/~library/services/ill.html
ILL for Other Libraries: http://www.fiu.edu/~library/services/lending.html
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